Nurses anger as Ivana Bacik to address Irish Midwives Conference

Nurses invited to the All-Ireland Annual Midwifery Conference have said they will now refuse to attend the event because "it is giving a platform to leading abortion-on-demand advocate, Labour Senator Ivana Bacik". 

The Conference is taking place on October 16th in Santry, Dublin. The first speaker listed on the schedule, after the usual welcomes and opening addresses, is none other than Ivana Bacik, whose extreme abortion views are well known. 

"Ms Bacik has never tried to hide her position on unborn children – if they are unwanted or in any way inconvenient, they should be killed, at any stage of pregnancy, for any reason. In other words, abortion on demand, without apology, and paid for by you, the taxpayer. She has been one of the foremost abortion campaigners in this country in the last few years, and has objected to medical staff’s right to conscientious objection as regards to participating in abortions. She has no medical background, no experience in nursing or midwifery.  Why she would then be invited to address midwives – people whose jobs revolve around the safe delivery of children from the womb – is, frankly, perplexing," Nurse Sinéad Donoghue said. 

Like other nurses who said they would not attend the event because of Ms Bacik's position on abortion, Ms Donoghue said that she did not appreciate Bacik being given a high-profile platform at the conference, and that the INMO was in danger of letting Bacik politicise a medical conference.   

When the organising committee was asked about her invitation, they said “Senator Ivana Bacik was invited because of her background in championing women's rights (i.e. Human rights) and on this occasion, Ms Bacik is addressing the topic “Pathways of Care” for women who are pregnant and who choose to opt for an out-of-hospital birth.

”"The truth is that Ms Bacik has been to the forefront of a movement that wishes to deny the most vulnerable humans their most basic rights – the right to life. She does not believe that children in the womb have a right to life, never mind optimal care. It should be of huge concern to any of us who rely on the services and care of midwives and maternity units that this conference is being addressed by a woman who has such an attitude towards their tiny patients. It should be of even greater concern to any midwives or medical staff that she is being given a platform at this conference when she believes that you – not her, or any other pro-abortion politician – must be forced to participate in direct abortions, terminations which are medically unnecessary, and which are inhumane and barbaric," said Ms Donoghue. 

She said that nurses and midwives - and members of the public - should respectfully register their concern at the INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation) at 01 664 0648 or email jean@inmo.ie